5 things this weekend in boxing: The next chapter for ‘Boots’ Ennis and Dave Allen’s latest ‘Cinderella Man’ attempt

As we head into another year’s most famous tournament, the boxing schedule is starting to come alive just in time for fighters to push for their place in the year-end Uncrowned Awards.

Philadelphia and Sheffield, England take center stage on Saturday as Matchroom Boxing and DAZN present a doubleheader on both sides of the Atlantic, headlined by Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Dave Allen – though not fighting each other, thankfully.

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1. Is Jaron “Boots” Ennis at home at 154 pounds?

“Boots” Ennis is the latest in a long line of “future stars” that Eddie Hearn has tried to talk into existence.

It’s all about manifestation, as Generation Z will tell you.

But this seems the most likely to stick.

The 28-year-old jumps to 154 pounds for the first time this weekend, and those around him have repeatedly stressed that this will not only be Ennis’ natural habitat, but will also provide him with the biggest and best opportunities to dominate the next generation. After all, the three stars at the top of the sport’s current rankings are all 108 years old.

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Ennis’s challenger for the interim WBA super welterweight title, Uisma Lima, is a disappointment on paper, but that probably doesn’t matter. The foundations are in place for Ennis having graduated from the welterweight division as a depleted but undefeated champion, and this fight is being treated more as a coming out party than any higher scale.

Ennis admitted he doesn’t know much about Lima – no one does – but feeling the “healthiest” and “strongest” he has been in years, Ennis 2.0 could become the fighter in 2026 that many have long predicted.

2. Will Dave Allen’s fairy tale continue?

It’s fitting that Dave Allen fights in his biggest career outing the weekend after Ricky Hatton’s funeral.

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Hutton considered Allen a comrade, and vice versa, and both men demonstrated an ability to reach the heads and hearts of British fight fans in their own unique way.

The White Rhinos would be right to wince at any real comparison with the Mancunian great, but he expects a similar atmosphere inside Sheffield Arena this weekend to the one that has become so synonymous in Manchester under Hatton.

I’ve written at length about how Allen feels this weekend with a variation on Groundhog Day, as he looks to once again shatter his own heavy glass ceiling.

A win over Arslanbek Mahmudov would be another fairytale night for Allen, but not necessarily a fairytale ending. The names of Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua have been cited in a hint of what could be around the corner for Allen – bouts that would have been unthinkable 12 months ago.

3. Should we still be afraid of Arslanbek Mahmudov?

Arslanbek Mahmudov mask may be slipping.

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First, we saw him stop Ajit Kapil to the body in 2023, then we saw him get defeated by Italian gatekeeper Guido Vianello in 2024, and finally – and perhaps most shockingly – we saw him talk very nicely to Dave Allen this fight week.

This is not what we signed up for when we all paid for our Makhmudov subscription.

He’s been portrayed as this super giant, wrestling bears, and punching monsters over the past few years, but what if he was just a gentle giant?

Fortunately, I won’t be the one to find out – Allen is the man tasked with killing what’s left of Makhmudov’s façade.

4. What remains for Reese Belotti?

At 34, this weekend is a make or break point for Reece Belotti. He said it himself – another loss, and retirement may be the only way left to walk.

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July brought heartbreak. Ryan Garner stopped the Watford fighter in the final round, extracting from him what has long looked like a hard-fought comeback, and it is impossible to know how much of that loss was taken by the ‘Bomber’.

Belotti now has a record six losses in just 26 matches. Next up is Josh Baddeley, whose story is just beginning after he packed up his gear to focus on the sport full-time.

Baddeley is younger, more energetic, on the rise – everything Belotti is not, and his team may need to be reminded of this if their mission runs into trouble on Saturday night in Sheffield, England.

5. Can 41-year-old Viktor Postol pick up another trinket?

Did anyone have Viktor Postol fighting for the vacant IBO International lightweight title in Kiev on their 2025 bingo card?

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Only me? Yes.

The 41-year-old’s career appears to have come to an abrupt halt after three straight defeats at the hands of Jose Ramirez, Gary-Antoine Russell and Elvis Rodriguez. But 2025 marked a return to his war-torn homeland, Ukraine, and now Postol fights defiantly in more ways than one.

Postol will face 32-year-old Spaniard Alejandro Moya in a 10-round match scheduled for Saturday evening inside the Sports Palace in Kiev. (Live on Kyivstar TV!)

The card will also feature six fights featuring Ukrainian soldiers, including an official boxing match between veterans in wheelchairs.